The La Sportiva Excelsior ski pant is a soft-shell option with a well rounded feature set.
I feel oddly attached to my softshell ski touring pants. I might choose a different base layer or outer layer on any given day. I have a quiver of skis to match conditions. On some tours, I use a light hat; others call for a Buff. Everything in my touring set-up is modular, except my pants. When I find a great pair of touring pants, I stick with them for years. You might call it ski-gear-monogamy.
Over the past four years, I’ve toured exclusively in a pair of Arc’teryx Procline FL pants, which met my definition of a nearly perfect backcountry ski pant: breathable; great fit; minimalist but effective suspenders; generous zippered side vents; big-enough-but-not-too-big cuffs; and well-designed front zip pockets. After four seasons of hard use, the Procline FLs show signs of wear, so I hit the market looking for my next touring pant love. And I may have found it in the La Sportiva Excelsior Pant.
I’m no stranger to La Sportiva, having used their skis, boots, and climbing shoes over the years. So, it was no surprise that they developed a well-crafted softshell pant. Starting with the fit, it is clear that La Sportiva was looking to build an adjustable pant that would work for a wide range of skiers. I am 6′ 1″ and weigh 175 pounds; I went with a US Medium/EU Large and found the fit as close to perfect as possible. The length is just right, and the fit is trim, but not overly so. I don’t like excess fabric in my pants, but I also prefer a little room for comfort and ease of movement—for me, the Excelsiors land in that “Goldilocks” category.
The Wiggis Suspenders (sold separately) do the job of keeping the pants waist positioned where you might want it, at or near your waist.
I am a big fan of suspenders, so I added the Wiggis Suspenders (sold separately) to my Excelsiors. The Wiggis attach to the Excelsiors through two front and one rear suspender loops. The suspenders are a bit too burly for my taste, with strong elastic straps that could be half their width. But you can dial in the length with a Velcro adjustment, and I’m confident the suspenders are fail-proof.
If you don’t like – or don’t want to pay for – suspenders, the waist features two Velcro adjustments on either side of the front snap closure to loosen or tighten the waist as needed. The Excelsiors also have sewn-in belt loops for those who prefer to use a belt. The fly closes with a one-way zipper, two offset snaps, and a hook and eye closure. This combination ensures that your pants will stay securely in place.
The cuff fabric is rolled up here to show the snow gaiter.
If you are concerned about the gaiter riding up, the cuff includes a cinch system that is easily attached to the boot’s lower.
The cuff can be opened for larger sized ski boots.
And, the cuff can be zipped tight for a leaner fit when wearing less robust ski boots.
A good shot of the robust and ample crampon patch.
Another pet peeve is ski pants with cuffs either too tight or too loose. La Sportiva solved that problem by designing a zippered cuff that expands to fit larger boots, and can be zipped up for lower-profile boots. Inside the cuff is an adjustable snow gaiter that is easy to deploy when needed but lightweight enough that it doesn’t feel awkward when you pull it above the top of your boot on warmer days. The pants include two robust Cordura crampon patches on the inside of each cuff.
Besides the two hand pockets, and single thigh pocket capable of storing a beacon, the Excelsior has a single rear pocket.
The Excelsior has four zippered pockets: two hand pockets; one on the right thigh; and one rear pocket. The hand pockets are placed to be accessible when wearing a harness. The thigh pocket – situated just below the leg loop of a harness – has an internal elastic strap and clasp to secure an avalanche beacon. The zipper teeth on the front pockets and those on the cuffs are molded plastic and provide a stylish color contrast to the fabric.
Side vents are crucial to those who run warm on backcountry days. The Excelsior has two ten-inch side vents with internal mesh gussets. I have a running debate with my primary ski partner over whether mesh vents are better than mesh-free vents. I am firmly in the mesh camp; he’s not. I like a vent that dumps heat while protecting my legs from invading snow. (I also, on most occasions, do not wear a bottom long-john type baselayer.)
The pant’s vents are 10″ long and less than an inch wide.
A close up of the leg vent.
My only serious gripe about the Excelsior Pant is that its side vents are undersized. When opened, the mesh component of the vent expands to less than an inch in width. For comparison, the vents on my old Procline FLs open 2.5 inches. Does it matter? On most days, probably not. But on a recent warm tour, I found myself wishing I had a wider vent.
The fabric is medium weight with a durable outer face, which shows no sign of pilling after numerous tours. The pant’s interior fabric has an integrated soft lining that feels great against the skin. During mid-Winter, this plush next-to-skin fabric kept the chill out. I’m curious to see if it feels too warm during long spring tours. The fabric also features a four-way stretch making the pant strikingly comfortable while moving.
For those who value environmental innovations in fabric, the Excelsior has a lot to offer. According to La Sportiva, the construction is 66 percent recycled Polyamide and 25 percent recycled Polyester. That makes the Excelsior 91 percent recycled, with (presumably) virgin Elastane rounding out the content. The fabrics are certified by Bluesign, an independent approval system verifying textiles are safe for the environment, workers, and customers.
A close up of the pant liners: a soft to the touch fabric.
La Sportiva finishes the Excelsior with a non-PFC DWR coating. What does that mean? For years, manufacturers of high-end technical apparel have made products out of fabrics coated with toxic chemicals that ensure water repellency while maintaining breathability. PFCs are a subset of a broader family of chemicals called PFAS. These chemicals – popularly called “forever chemicals” – build up in our bodies and never break down.
According to the US EPA, exposure to PFAS may lead to reproductive effects, developmental delays in children, increased risk of cancer, and hormonal disruption. Governments are slowly banning the use of some PFAS chemicals – there are more than 4,700 of them – while some outdoor brands, including La Sportiva, are voluntarily moving to non-toxic alternatives.
According to Jonathan Lantz, President of La Sportiva NA, the company is PFC-free in all but a few of its apparel styles. “The big issue with PFC-free DWR coatings is that they do not last as long as [PFC] based coatings,” said Lantz. “But the upside is way worth the sacrifice.”
Anecdotally, I ran water over my Excelsiors after several months of use, and the water beaded up just like it would on a comparable pant with a PFC coating. I am interested to see how long this PFC-free coating lasts. In the meantime, I enjoy knowing that the Excelsior is not adding to the build-up of “forever chemicals”.
In my quest for a new long-term relationship with a softshell ski pant, the La Sportiva Excelsior shows meet-the-parents promise. It is well-designed, comfortable, and functional, and takes an important step away from toxic DWR coatings. I’m smitten.
Basic Stats:
Price:$179.00
Weight: 666g with suspensders, 582g pants alone (no suspenders).
M/W: The Excelsior Pant comes in both a women’s and men’s fit.
General Imporessions: La Sportiva calls this a midweight soft-shell pant. It is breathable, wind-resistant, and warm enough in most temps. We still need to test during a traverse when it feels like an oven crossing a snowfield.
